The Antarctic exploration ship Soya departed Japan in November 1956 to join the research expedition in Antarctica. It was just 11 years after the end of World War II, and a defeated nation’s attempt to reach the excellence of an international scientific expedition met many difficulties.The Japanese people welcomed this participation with excitement, as a symbol of their country’s comeback to the international stage. In the midst of this enthusiasm, Nippon Press produced a series of slides for educational purposes. The format was 35mm roll film, popular in these days before it abolished in favor of mounted slides. Three titles on Antarctica were produced: “History of the Antarctic Exploration,” “The Arctic and the Antarctic” and “Scientific Survey in the Antarctic”.Thanks to Junichi and Hitomi Oshima’s findings, we now unveil these slides in digital format. In this presentation series, we reconsider the past era’s passion for the last terra incognita, as well as its importance in global science. “The Arctic and the Antarctic – Antarctica 2” and “Scientific Survey in the Antarctic – Antarctica 3” will be screened in this series.

For the first session of the series, Intermediatheque invites Yuki Watanabe, associate professor at the National Institute of Polar Research, to give a general introduction to recent polar studies. This will lead us to appreciate the historical turning point when competition among nations eventually led to their joint presence for international collaborative study, amidst inexhaustible enthusiasm for the Antarctic.